I'd like a remote start too.....I have no real reason to have one but I think they are cool. I used to have one that I fitted on my Mitsubishi gto and it was nice to get into a warm car on a cold morning.....but one of the previous posters is right about it using a lot of fuel. Also it could also act as a turbo timer, letting the engine tick over for a certain time after you got out and locked the door to allow the turbo to cool before automatically shutting off (something that could be useful on my WJ I guess). Also it does not do a gas engine much good ticking over to warm up....it runs richer for longer than it would do if you drove it to warm the engine up. This means the extra petrol washes the oil film from the bores causing extra wear. Nearly all modernish cars advise against idling to warm up in their hand books and say to start them and drive them straight away....just be gentle and don't rev them hard when cold etc. Having said all that I would still like to fit one as it is nice to have all the glass clear before I drive and to get into a warm car.....not that its ever really that cold in southern Britain!

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To start he asked for opinions, which is what I gave. My post was on both a serious and joking note. The remote start systems waste a lot of gas, hence money. Most things I have read is that it is better to start driving as soon as you start your vehicle (idle about 30 Seconds) instead of letting it idle to warm up. My WJ would start to get heat within about 2 miles of driving, so to me preheating is a waste. The man up comment was on the lighter side.

Yeah, it's definitely not a good idea to get in and go when it's real cold. Your oil is not getting into the small clearances it needs to until it warms up a little bit. I don't warm up my WJ to have heat, I warm it up so I don't starve the valetrain of oil. Some tree huggers started the "no idle, save gas" crap years ago as a way to be more green. With cars coming out cleaner and cleaner (ULEV) I'm not worried. And about saving gas, I don't notice a difference at all. I get less MPG in the winter due to the winter additives (ethanol), so actual calculations would be hard to quantify. To each their own, I know I'm hard headed. Just my two cents.

Winter is not the same everywhere. Using a link from Lexington, SC that talks about "Cold Morning Start: To Warm Up Or Not to Warm Up?" is a joke at best. I have been in cars that were so cold that the windows fog up with a coating frost within a minute just from breathing in the car. Colder it is outside the longer it takes to get heat. Driving around like stevie wonder is out right dangerous.

I live in Michigan and do not have a garage so my WJ sat outside all night in temps down to 0 Degs.

Being in the military my WJ started out in Tucson Az then Dayton Oh then Sc back to Dayton then to sunny Ca. My WJ was much happier in Dayton when I let it warm up a good 5 min or so. Dayton get to zero and below too. If I just jumped in and went it would be sluggish and shifting wasn't smooth. But if I let it warm up all was good.

I have had my remote start on it for 10 years. Loved having the cold A/C on in 110 Tucson heat and heat on in the freezing Oh winters. Also not too worried about the gas. I drive a lead sled WJ with 6" lift, 33's, roof rack and other crap. 5 min of running isnt going to kill me too bad.

There must be a reason they sell block heaters and blankets. Otherwise people wouldn't need them.

I, also, want to add a remote start to my WJ. I don't have a SKIM module (no sentry key - no chip in my key) so I'm thinking the remote start will be pretty easily installed in mine. Has anyone installed theirs without the need for the bypass module?

I installed 3 of them, 2 did not use a bypass module. I would say the integration module makes things a lot easier, and it's even more true if you plan on using your remote for power locks, panic button, etc. since most of it runs through the vehicle's OBD data system; there are a lot less wires you have to tap into.

Quote:

Originally Posted by michiganmaveric

To start he asked for opinions, which is what I gave. My post was on both a serious and joking note. The remote start systems waste a lot of gas, hence money. Most things I have read is that it is better to start driving as soon as you start your vehicle (idle about 30 Seconds) instead of letting it idle to warm up. My WJ would start to get heat within about 2 miles of driving, so to me preheating is a waste. The man up comment was on the lighter side.

It is true that cold starts aren't as harsh on newer vehicle' engines. I still prefer to let the engine warm up before putting a load on it to make sure the oil flows in all areas and to let metal expand as it gets to operating temperature so it's not squeezing the piston rings and wear them out.

Typically remote starts will time out after several minutes if you don't put the key in the ignition to limit fuel consumption. The shortest (and default) setting on the Avital 4103 is 12 min, but it can be overridden with a special tool. Other modules may have different settings, something to look into if fuel consumption is a concern.

But the main reason I like the remote start is for the A/C... getting in the Jeep in the summer is like entering an oven where I live.